ntro: it is that time of year again where football in Alabama becomes a big subject around the state. I only played one year of football in Tallassee and that was enough for me. Two a days in August are a one of a kind experience. I am glad that I did play that one year because every day of practice I wanted to quit. But my dad said, if you start quitting now you will quit the rest of your life, so I stuck it out. Here are some of the sayings I do remember from that one year of football from the coaches.No pain, no gain.It isnít the size of the man, but the size of the heart in the man.You have got to want it more than the next guy.The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards.And of course, Winners never quit, and quitters never win.Today, I would like to use that for our sermon, and realize to be a person of God, sometimes it is a matter of choosing to be a winner.

Winners never quit and quitters never WinEcclesiastes 9:11aThe race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong

*Solomon was saying something out of a coaches manual. He was saying, it isnít always the strongest guy, it isnít always the fastest guy, that wins in life. He made a observation that many times to be a winner, means you just wonít give up, you just wonít give in, and you wonít quit no matter how hard the race gets in life. Today, that is our message, donít quit, donít stop, donít give up and donít give in, and you will be a winner.

I. NoahóGenesis 6:14ómake thee an ark- this seems like such a simple statement but what a monumental task. Noah was to build this ark, a giant boat to save his family from a flood. Here are some lessons we learn from Noahís life.

∑ Noah had a long, hard task given to him, but he did exactly what God told him to do. This is the first step of a winner, doing exactly what God asks you to do. Even though Noah was ridiculed for it, even though he didnít understand what it was he was building, he understood the one who had asked him to build it.∑ He never gave up---the story of Noah isnít about the ability to build, but the ability to keep on building. I am sure he felt like giving up, and I am sure there were many trials along the way. ∑ He realized at the end, better to be shut in with God than shut out. He desired God in his life more than friends, popularity and acceptance in this world. I am sure people tried to talk him out of the task, I am sure the devil tried to discourage him. But winners never quit, and quitters never win.

II. Job 1:21óI came into this world with nothing and with nothing I will leave, bless the name of the Lord. Here is a story of another winner. He has just lost everything, his prosperity, his family, everything he had in this world, but instead of getting bitter, he got better.

∑ His wife said give up, but when you are a winner you donít let loserís decide your destiny. ∑ Even though he was reduced to nothing he figured starting over with God is better than starting over